When the Time Came
by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: The time had come for Tony to see him again... Soulmate!AU written for Bex (DobbyRocksSocks)!


Note: Post CW as IW doesn't exist to me *innocent smile*. Obvious canon divergence and Soulmate!AU - symbols representing their soulmate. Written for Bex for GGE and her birthday :) she wanted Tony so I hopefully it delivers!

* * *

Tony was standing at the entrance of the kingdom in Wakanda with Peter in tow. He tried ditching him back at the tower, but the kid was persistent. Tony couldn't _not _take him to a place that wasn't supposed to exist. Peter wouldn't believe it until he saw it.

Tony would have been content if Peter decided to just not believe it.

The only reason Tony knew about it was because Rogers gave him the location. He only gave him the location because of who he was intending to see.

The last time they had an encounter, it wasn't the most peaceful. Having been on opposite sides of an opinion drew Tony and Rogers apart, and the trust of his parents' death nearly broke any connection he had with Captain America and his Winter Soldier buddy.

Expect, there was no way that he could sever his tie from them. Rogers betrayed him, but the last hit to Tony's head gave him the time to reason out why he did what he did.

And the other...living without him would make Tony feel empty. At one point, he would have been content with that, but the thought of being without his soulmate was displeasing. They'd grown into something more in the course of a few months that being away from Bucky entirely would eat at Tony from the inside.

When there was a solution offered for recovery on all fronts, Tony didn't hesitate to agree. Obviously that brought on a mock-psych evaluation.

Time had passed, and Tony was finally given the greenlight to see Bucky. He would have preferred this to be a solo mission, so he had to plan the detour.

That detour arrived to greet both Tony and Peter with a smile. Shuri opened her arms, her welcoming smile radiating.

"Welcome to you both, Mr Stark and Peter Parker," she said. "My brother is attending to civic matters, but he welcomes you here as well."

Tony tipped his head at Shuri. "Of course," he replied.

Peter scratched his head with a finger. "Uh, I never told you my name," he added. "But yeah...Peter Parker."

She shook her head in amusement before shifting gears in the conversation. "Well, before you head off, I have to ask. I'm itching to make some upgrades on another suit," Shuri said then nodded at Peter, "have you installed WiFi into his suit?"

Peter gave Tony an incredulous look, causing Tony to pinch the bridge of his nose. Before Tony could answer her question, Peter spoke up first.

"I could have WiFi in my suit?" Peter exclaimed.

Shuri scoffed with a grin. "Everyone knows that with a hybrid opto-electronic computer you can install WiFi."

Tony sighed and shook his head. "He didn't know about the upgrades in the suit."

As Shuri covered her mouth in an 'oops' fashion, Peter raised his arms in the air. "I passed up on a suit with WiFi?!"

With a groan, Tony pushed Peter towards Shuri. "Keep him occupied will you," he said, beginning to walk down the hallway. "I shouldn't be long."

Peter held up a finger in protest, but Shuri wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Mr Stark, we'll be just fine," she told him, offering a reassuring smile.

Tony gave them a nod as he moved on his way. He gave them a backward wave. "You kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Tony paused after saying that. "Scratch that. Do everything I wouldn't do."

The only thing he heard was a giggle and a nervous chuckle that faded as the distance between them grew.

* * *

Tony walked through the grassy field, eyeing the children that were playing and running around near one of the close huts. The lake close by finished the scenic, peaceful atmosphere; Tony understood how this was the best place for a mental recovery. He'd have to program something similar to this in his downtime.

His hands in his pockets, Tony watched as the sheet covering the entrance of the hut moved, and a figure was seen.

He didn't realize how much it would affect him seeing Bucky like this. Some time ago, he wanted to kiss him, then he wanted to murder him. The feeling of betrayal was etched onto his heart, even if he couldn't completely fault the man for his actions. Being mind controlled by a terrorist organization would do damage to anyone. Though the desire to be near this man had proven to be stronger than anything he'd ever imagined.

Had Tony really changed this much over the course of a few years? Had he really grown up like his parents would have wanted him to? Or was it some side effect from the white werewolf tattoo on his shoulder.

Soulmates were scientifically impossible, yet they were very much real. His soulmate just happened to be his parents' murderer. Talk about the odds of that. Except he didn't have talk about those odds. Rhodey made laughing jokes of it.

"You just gonna stand there?" Bucky called out, diverting Tony from his thoughts. He only had one arm; his mechanical one was probably in Shuri's lab.

Tony licked his lips subconsciously as the wind blew through Bucky's hair, his expression was easy going and soft. Tony walked towards Bucky, stopping a foot away for his own self control. He could see the small tattoo under the brunette's jaw like a birthmark; it was a grey dire wolf.

"You're looking better," Tony remarked. "How's the head?"

Bucky shrugged lightly. "I don't have headaches anymore, and the whispers disappeared," he answered, glancing towards the lake. "...I think I'm gonna be okay."

Tony stared at the ground, avoiding Bucky's gaze. It was childish, he knew, but it was easier. "Good, good," Tony said. "Rogers will be happy to hear that."

"Are you?"

Tony cleared his throat. "Excuse me?"

"Are you happy to hear that?" Bucky clarified. "Because I get–"

"No, you do not get to do that," Tony interrupted. "You don't get to make me feel bad."

Bucky frowned. "But I wasn't tr–"

"I don't care. Because you already make me feel so much and–"

"It's not like I can help it!" Bucky argued.

Tony held up a hand. "You don't get to interrupt me."

Bucky waved his hand. "_You_ don't get to interrupt _me_."

Tony cursed under his breath, rubbing his temple. "I'm sorry. It's just...an emotional moment or something."

"No kidding," Bucky murmured, shifting his eyes from the field to Tony. A smile slowly grew on his face. "I missed you, Stark."

Tony shifted his weight to his right side, the small smile forming on his face. Damn this man. "I missed you too, Barnes. I missed you too."

Bucky wasted no time in closing the space between them and wrapping his arm around Tony in a hug. Tony couldn't fight his impulses to hug the man back.

* * *

Word Count: 1,150


End file.
